MUSIC: Toby Hay’s Rustic Charm

Welsh Guitarist and composer Toby Hay’s melodic solo guitar compositions reveals to us the inspiration behind his music which reminds us of the quaint Welsh and English countrysides

MC: Tell us about your new EP?

TH: It is called ‘Marteg’, which is the name of a river near the house where I live. It is a small but beautiful river that flows into the Wye. There are 4 tracks all inspired by different aspects of the river.

MC: What would you like to convey with your music?

TH: I love instrumental music for its ability to convey complex emotions without the need for words. All I can hope is that people enjoy listening to it.

MC: Who/what are your musical inspirations?

TH: So many…In terms of solo guitar Robbie Basho and John Fahey. I love the playfulness of Penguin Cafe Orchestra and I listen to a lot of folk music from around the world. There is this amazing welsh Harp Music from the Robert ap Huw manuscript which I love at the moment.

MC: How would you describe your music?

TH: I enjoy repetition, and all the pieces probably last too long. I like to try to make folk music for a country that doesn’t exist…..

MC: Besides acoustic guitar, what other instruments do you play?

TH: I play quite a few other instruments. On these 4 tracks I play 6 and 12 String Guitar, Lap Steel, Electric Bass, Shruti Box and some Percussion.

MC: Does coming from a small town like Rhayader have an influence on the way you compose music? Would you say your surroundings play an important part in the process?

TH: Very much so, most of what I do is inspired by where I live, the countryside, or the people, or the history. It gives me a real buzz.

MC: What is it that specifically draws you the folk genre?

TH: I’ve been a fan of traditional music for a while now. What I do isn’t really folk but I don’t mind if people call it that.

MC: What’s next for you? Are there any upcoming projects that you’d like to share?